can you really built muscle only training three times a week?

[SweetMuscles]

i am very sceptiacl. i like to train 3 on 2 off (6 days) i train hard and heavy and light and pumpy alternatively. i drink 50 grams protein and maize before and the same after. i eat steak and eggs and brown rice. lots of vegatables.
]
i look VERY good on so much training

[Ex Coelis]

over-training is every natural bber's biggest concern

train instinctively and listen to your body

[Knives]

i'm sure you're going to get many different answers here, but it might be best to try 2 training protocols, one where you train for 3 days a week and another where you train more often.  Use them both over a period of time and see which one delivers better gains.

[Fatpanda]

train a muscle every 72 hours for optimum protein synethsis and cns recovery.

[SweetMuscles]

train a muscle every 72 hours for optimum protein synethsis and cns recovery.

so 3 on 1 off is best? no wodner i look very much better than most others at all gyms

[Fatpanda]

so 3 on 1 off is best? no wodner i look very much better than most others at all gyms

no, either fullbody every 3rd day i.e. mon, thur, sun, wed, sat, tue, fri, mon, etc

or 2 on 1 off - upper/lower or push/pull - basically whatever you like, just leave 2 days of rest between working the same bodyparts.

[MikeThaMachine]

no, either fullbody every 3rd day i.e. mon, thur, sun, wed, sat, tue, fri, mon, etc

or 2 on 1 off - upper/lower or push/pull - basically whatever you like, just leave 2 days of rest between working the same bodyparts.

I would also suggest doing both heavier and ligther lifts during almost all workouts and 3on 2off second off day could be used as an active cardio day to break up the monotony.

[BIG ACH]

Everybody is different.


I've seen some people make awesome gains training 3 times a week for like 30-40 mins.

I've always trained 5-6 days a week, for like 2-3 hours.


Just do what works for you.

[hazbin]

mike mentzer (yah, he was a little crazy) talked about recuperative rates varying as much as sun tolerance and IQ's.  some people burn in 5 minutes of sun while others can stay unprotected in sun for hours.  there are morons with IQ' under 50, (no offense guys) as well as geniuses with near 200 IQ's.

it makes sense that some people can train hours a day, while others may overtrain on 2 workouts a week (mike called these people recuperative morons)

then again, mike did drink his own piss!!

[aussiejosh]

no, either fullbody every 3rd day i.e. mon, thur, sun, wed, sat, tue, fri, mon, etc

or 2 on 1 off - upper/lower or push/pull - basically whatever you like, just leave 2 days of rest between working the same bodyparts.

I do mon, wed, fri and have sat sun off I use the days in between as cardio would you find this is over training I do full body work outs that last about 45-60 mins.

[MikeThaMachine]

Everybody is different.


I've seen some people make awesome gains training 3 times a week for like 30-40 mins.

I've always trained 5-6 days a week, for like 2-3 hours.


Just do what works for you.

                         That's what I used to do but then I lost my steady job and I can't feed my self like I used to and I am not about to eat cheap ass healthy foods like I did when I first started. I barely train at all anymore (I cut back training about last labor day and all together about 1 1/2 -2 months ago)  I am still losing size, getting soft and getting a belly (mainly from bad eating), I still have the shape I worked so hard for and I know I could get back my size, hardness and six pack in 4-6 months training with weights 3days a week.

[Mars]

[bodybuilder1234]

Triple H does well on the guitar there

[musclehedz]

[musclehedz]

over-training is every natural bber's biggest concern

train instinctively and listen to your body

That's lee priest!

[Monster81]

NO ,the one on the bottom is not Lee Preist

[Fatpanda]

I do mon, wed, fri and have sat sun off I use the days in between as cardio would you find this is over training I do full body work outs that last about 45-60 mins.

if it works for you then great, i have also used that same format and had good results.

There is some debate however as to what is optimal in regards to protein sysnthesis rates 48 or 72 hours.

There is more agreement for cns recovery needing 72 hours.

Also with studies showing twice a week workouts producing equal muscle mass gains, but more stength gains than 3 time a week workouts, i am happy to recommend every 3rd day per body part.

[Eric2]

I made my best gains in strength as well as muscle mass by training only 3 days per week. Each workout was a mere 30min at best. No it was not the heavy duty approach either. I only did the basic compound movements which hit every muscle group. Bench on monday, with barbell rows or deads, squat on wed, then shoulders arms on friday.
   One really good warm up set then five sets of progressive overload to failure. Every week I would add at least 2.5-5 pounds to every exersise and every set.

[Meso_z]

5 times a week. 3 day/45minute "splits" are a joke.

[affeman]

Hit the weights at least 4 times per week (more is not beneficial for most naturals I guess; only some genetic-monsters could do that). On the other 3 days you can do cardio if you want (depends on your goals).

[Mars]

i think 4 times a week weighttraining is max.

[burn2live]

i think 4 times a week weighttraining is max.

I think it depends on the person. I train 6/7 days a week. Works fine for me

[Mars]

maybe it would work much better if you did 4 times stud.

[JasonH]

Four times is ideal - five or more is too much and you can't maintain the intensity and three isn't enough - the body won't receive enough stimulus.

[burn2live]

maybe it would work much better if you did 4 times stud.

Yeh, it would be much better if I wasn't a 235lb natural with visible abs closing in on a 660lb deadlift after 13 months training